Heaven Beside You
by Uskius
Summary: "This was a tale that began long ago when the Angels descended to the earth..." A tale as old as time, a song as old as rhyme... you know the words, though you might not have heard them sung like this.
1. Heaven Beside You

****Author's Note**** Well, I waited for this for years and hadn't gotten an answer, so I just decided to do it myself. It will be what The Stars In Your Eyes was supposed to be, my absolute last fan fiction story. I'm not gonna call it my best like TSIYE, or my favorite like with Monty Python and the Pirate King, but I am staking my entire fan fiction legacy on this one story. The idea came from, of course, the legendary Terrible Crossover Fanfiction Idea Generator, the formula being End of Evangelion+Beauty and the Beast, with puberty as a plot device. Prepare yourself, mortal. The consequences will never be the same.

**Heaven Beside You**

"This was a tale that began long ago when the Angels descended to the earth..." But after reading the sentence for the thousandth time, Rei Ayanami was sick of it and snapped the book shut. However much or often she wished it, life was not some grand fairy tale. She could dream of being an old-fashioned princess in the nearby castle, or dream of flying, but when she opened her eyes she would still be stuck on the farm with her mad scientist father, Gendo Ikari. Stuck; she knew she cared but didn't know why, and just assumed every girl was like this. So she decided to take a stroll into town, maybe find a new book.

"Oh, you little town, so quiet..." _Sometimes they all seem a bit like ants as they wake up to go about their business... so who's their queen?_ The road out from the farm passed more and more houses, until it gave up and declared itself in the little village. There Rei saw the town square, where store fronts were being swept clean, and there was the slightest hint of bread baking wafting towards Rei on the breeze. The cooper waved to her, and said good morning.

He was soon followed by others in the square, who acknowledged Rei cheerfully. _Ah I knew I smelled bread. There goes the baker..._ There was an almost musical quality to how the townspeople moved about, and perhaps unsurprisingly Rei heard one start singing a wordless melody as she passed the bakery. "Good morning, Rei!"

"Oh... good morning." _I think that's how they say it._

"Where might you be off to today?"

"Ah, I was thinking of visiting the bookshop, I was a page away from using this as a doorstopper-"

"That's lovely- Misato, THE BAGUETTES! See you later, maybe I'll have a few leftover rolls. Goodbye." And the baker hurried off, as Rei continued her trip to the bookshop, she heard the townspeople begin a curious verse:

"There she goes that girl is strange, no question!  
>Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?<br>Never part of any crowd-  
>Would she even be allowed?<br>No denying she's a funny girl, the Rei..."

Rei took in people haggling over the price of eggs, and greeting each other as she came closer still to the bookshop. She felt their magically musical contentment tugging at her, but she remained quiet and walked right in to the shop. "Ah, Rei, good morning! Back so soon?"

"Yes, I'm here to return this book."

"Finished already?"

"I considered using it as toilet paper. Have you got anything new?"

"Eheh, not since yesterday."

"Oh... I'll just borrow this one again." Rei selected a thick, well-worn volume with a boy and a flaming chalice on the front cover.

"That? Bah, you've read it twice!"

"...It's my favorite."

"Well, I'll let you hang on to it then." Rei raised her eyebrows a fraction of an inch, but the bookseller said, "I insist! Keep it!" Rei nodded, and turned around to leave. The townspeople were singing again, about some unspecified girl:

"There she goes that girl is so peculiar  
>I wonder if she's feeling well<br>With a distant far-off look  
>Or her nose stuck in some book<br>What a puzzle to the rest of us is Rei!"

Again, Rei felt moved to sing but the tune and words of the villager's song escaped her, as she was engrossed in the book. A vague tickling in her ears suggested the villagers were still singing.

"Despite being so odd she's quite a beauty,  
>Her looks have got no parallel!"<p>

"But behind that fair facade  
>I'm afraid she's rather odd<br>So different from the rest of us-

Very different from the rest of us  
>Yes, different from the rest of us is Rei!"<p>

From a distance near the other end of the town square, the hunter Touji Suzuhara had his eye on a certain someone. "Ha! You didn't miss a shot, Touji!" Kensuke said.

"I know."

"No deer alive stands a chance against you!" With a wink, Kensuke nudged Touji and added, "Or girl, for that matter."

"It's true, Kensuke- and I've got my sights set on _that_ one!" Touji said, pointing dramatically.

"What, Madman Ikari's daughter?"

"Correct; she's the lucky girl I'm going to marry!"

"But-"

"She's the most beautiful girl in town, and that makes her the best." Touji gave a threatening laugh, and slapped Kensuke on the back. "And I deserve the best, don't I?"

"Well of course, but-" Kensuke's plea was ignored, as Touji was wrapped up in the moment and had begun to sing.

"Right from the moment that I met her, saw her,  
>I said she's gorgeous and I fell<br>In this town there's only she  
>Who's as beautiful as me<br>Yes, I'm making plans to woo and marry Rei!"

Not noticing the girls fawning over his good looks, Touji began power walking over to Rei. His polished leather hunting boots shone in the early light, his short raven hair blowing about in the breeze. The ground between him and Rei quickly diminished, and Kensuke tapped her on the shoulder to announce their presence. The blue-haired maiden turned around, and saw who it was. Touji just stood there posing confidently with his arms folded across his chest, as Rei stared blankly. A small leaf blew between them as the silence stretched out. "So, Rei, I've noticed something about myself that I want to share with you: I'm single." A nearby cricket began to sing, but Touji stomped on it swiftly. "And I've been single for a while, for this one reason: I only want the best! And you, Rei, are the best! Just think of the family we could have together; little Touji juniors and little Rei's running all around the house, and-"

Rei glanced down at her book, and frowned slightly. "You made me lose my place. And I just have no interest in starting a family, Touji. I'm only fifteen." Turning on her heel, Rei left and continued walking back to the farm house.

"B-b- b'whuh? How bold is she, is this mockery?" Touji stared after Rei, the young man's mind not comprehending what had just happened. "This is an outrage! Publicly humiliating me, _ME_, the most handsome man in the village!"

"Yeah! What was she thinking?" Kensuke said.

"Nothing smart, apparently. Come, Kensuke. Let us make our way to the tavern- I feel the need to boast." Kensuke chuckled and rubbed his hands for a moment, and followed behind the proud Touji. He kicked open the tavern doors, and commandeered a nearby table top. He felt his rage and grandeur rising up in him, and it came out in a masterful high scream. The villagers felt a rush of energy and could hear music with power and majesty starting to play as Touji's scream faded.

"Perfect,  
>A pure paragon!<br>No there are none like me!

I can  
>Slap a tornado<br>I can dry up a sea!"

Kensuke squeezed in a short line singing,

"Cause there's no one, no one like Touji!"

"Manly!  
>Up to eleven,<br>Infinity and beyond!  
>My list of deeds goes and goes on!"<p>

The patrons of the tavern joined in, adding a few lines:

"No one hits like he does

Matches wits like he does  
>In drinking matches nobody drinks like he does!"<p>

"I'm unparalleled at doing a keg stand-"

"Cause there's no one, no one like Touji!"

"As a lad I ate rocks and falcon eggs  
>Every morning to help me grow large<br>Now I drink protein shakes and eat dragon souls-  
>And I'm roughly the size of a barge!"<p>

The tavern goers came in with a few different lines, bringing the vocal melody back to Touji's beginning:

"A man!  
>He's one among men<br>He's the hero next door!"

And then everyone joined in for one last line, Touji's voice high above them all.

"Cause there's no one, no one like Touji!"

"A round for everyone, on me!" Touji raised his fist into the air, and everyone cheered.


	2. Heaven Beside You chapter 2

Already nearly halfway through the book at noon next day, Rei got distracted by the clanging sounds coming from her father's workshop. She thought of the magic in the book, one of wands and incantations, and then she thought of the way her father tinkered with his machines, bolts and tools and metal and no magic at all- at least until his projects were finished, when to her they seemed like the most fanciful and magical things in existence.

The sounds persisted, shifting from the thumps and creaks of things being moved into place to the steady beat of a hammer. "I suppose I might as well…" Rei looked down at the book, and spoke to it. "Just remember that you can trust him, Harry." Marking her place, Rei swept up and off of her bed- pausing briefly to straighten out her sheets- and stalked off to her father's workshop.

It was a small barn just beside the house, painted red and with a large white "X" on the doors. Rei pulled one open and peeked in, then silently walked over to where her father was hammering away at something large and metal partially covered by a cloth.

"You village kids better piss off, I-"

"It's me, father-"

"You better get out, Rei."

A good mood, then. "What are you working today?" Rei couldn't quite guess at the form beneath the drape, and edged around to stand beside her father.

Gendo stopped hammering and rolled the toothpick around in his mouth. "The same thing as always, kid. You've just never seen it all together. But I'm close, I'm close…" Rei almost opened her mouth to ask again, but Gendo caught her eye and sighed. "...It's a second skin, a glorious suit. Here-" Finishing a last bit of hammering, Gendo tossed his mallet away and then walked around to the front and yanked the cloth off.

At first glance Rei thought it was like a large metallic stick figure. Upon further inspection, there were small embellishments and curves in the design that jumped out at her. "I still don't get it."

"Of course you don't, there's never been anything like it. This isn't just a suit, Rei. It's an armor that'll let man walk with the angels." Gendo said grandly, huffing and crossing his arms as he looked up in admiration.

"'And as the angels walked with man, so too will one day man walk amongst the angels.' I know that. But… The Awakening won't happen. The angels are all asleep, and they aren't human. They won't know what love is, ever."

"No, they love. They love like monsters, with the sacrificial blood of virgins dripping from their lips." Rei looked up at the suit of armor, wondering what exactly her father meant when he called her an angel.

"...So what are you going to call it?"

"Lillith. I thought about calling it an evangelion, but that sounded too religious and pretentious." Rei nodded; Lillith was a pleasing and relatively normal name for something invented by her father. "Now it's time to test this sucker out." A small pad with a few buttons inexplicably appeared in Gendo's hand, and, after pressing one of the buttons, the front of the suit opened up and lowered in a vaguely sexual way. "Come on, up you go." Motioned Gendo. Rei glanced between him and Lillith for a second, then shrugged and jumped, landing on the front and walking up. Once in, the front closed by itself, and Rei took a seat on the horse-like leather structure that she guessed was the seat. The whirr and rhythms of an engine started, and a luminous golden mist quickly filled up the cabin. She found she was able to breathe and see through it easily enough, and moments afterwards, Lillith turned slightly to the left. Just to make sure she pulled on the handle again, and once more Lillith turned left. The right handle worked in a similar manner, and by rolling the handles forwards Rei felt Lillith take a step.

"This… Lillith is amazing, father."

"Of course, my little angel. Now come on out, now that I know that it works I want to hurry up and show it off at the village fair." The front opened up, and from the inside Rei decided her father had had _that_ in mind when designing Lillith. She deftly walked down and hopped off, tendrils of sparkling mist clinging to her. Gendo nodded and patted her on the shoulder, then pressed another button on his strange pad. Lillith lowered down and shrank in on itself slightly, until it was a rectangular shape a third its original size. It was just small to fit in the large cart Gendo used for hauling supplies, though the frame groaned under the weight. "Phillipe! Get your ass over here!" Her father's horse came as commanded, and with a practiced efficiency Gendo got Phillipe harnessed and on the move.


	3. Chapter 3

The going was slow once Gendo got on his way to the village fair. He could have walked there faster, true, but then he wouldn't have Lillith with him when he arrived. At last, when his home was out of sight, Gendo began to feel that most dangerous of emotions: boredom. As his mind raced ahead to the village, all the turns began to look alike, and reasoning that since he had been gone from his home for hours, the next turn was the right one. Gendo made the turn a little early, and the cart ran over the way sign, snapping it off level with the ground, making a deep scratching sound as the rest of the cart ran over it.

And so, the afternoon passed into evening, with storm clouds gathering overhead. Gendo barely noticed the change at first, but all at once it seemed the light had dimmed and night was soon on its way. "That the one…?" Gendo said to himself, squinting. He was looking at a fork in the road, one similar to the one that led home from the village. It was not the same split, however, and Phillipe knew this. "C'mon, let's go," Gendo said as he urged Phillipe to the right. But seeing the distant patch of sunlight Gendo missed in the other direction, Phillipe tried to go that way. "Dammit Phillipe _I_ am the one driving _you_! Go to the right!" Gendo made the turn a little late this time, the wheel of the wagon bumping the way sign hard enough to knock one of the loose pointer planks off.

The clouds grew darker, and the light dimmer, and Gendo had to get out a lantern and light it. And, as he did so, it began to lightly rain. Gendo shook his head and spat out a curse, flicking the rains and hoping he would at least find somewhere out of the rain he could stop. Soon, he began to notice Phillipe growing jittery, and amid the gentle pitter-patter of the rain he could hear rustling footsteps. He finally took off his sunglasses, and out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed a wolf threading through the trees. One of the wolves leapt out of the undergrowth onto the path behind them, and Gendo swore again and jabbed Phillipe with his heel. Miraculously, Phillipe started to go faster. Unfortunately it wasn't fast enough to leave the wolves behind, and they circled the wagon. Gendo took a deep breath, and when the wolf leaped for Phillipe's neck, he kicked it in the face. But with his foot out of the stirrup, he fell off when Phillipe came to a sudden halt at the edge of a cliff. The fall broke the strap on Phillipe's harness, and pulled the bit out of his mouth as well when Gendo reached for something to hold on to.

Phillipe reared up, kicking a wolf in the mouth. "Get them! Show them sonsofbitches who's b- oh, _fu_-" Gendo got his hands up to defend himself, but was still knocked backwards by the wolf, stumbling over the edge of the cliff. He twisted around in mid-air, accidentally landing on top of the wolf before rolling the rest of the way down the cliff. He scrambled forwards through the bushes before coming onto a path. As he wiped his face and scrambled forwards he saw a metal gate looming out of the trees. As he ran towards it he heard the wolves coming after him, and with a burst of speed he got to the gate. "Come on, open up…!" With a rattle and clang they did so, and Gendo slipped through before the wolves got to him. He rested with his hands on his knees before flipping off the wolves. Looking up, Gendo could see he was at the castle outside of the village. And, reasoning that he might as well see what it was like, walked forwards. The front door was also unlocked, and Gendo took in the grandeur. The hall was dimly lit, and after Gendo's eyes adjusted to the light, he noticed faint whispers coming from his left. "What? This place looks empty…"

"Oh, you've done it now…"

"Well excuse me for being surprised at us having a visitor!"

"Not now, not while he's so close!"

"Definitely heard something…" Gendo looked over at the candle and clock on the table beside him, and picked up the candle. "Hello?"

"Over here!" Gendo turned to look, but didn't see anyone. "No, _over here._" Gendo looked to his left again, and out of the corner of his eye saw the candle waving at him.

"...Are you serious."

"Very rarely, _mon ami_. You look in a bad way, sir. We must get you by the fire."

"Oh Lumiere, you are impossible…"

"And the clock, too…" Gendo said, dropping Lumiere, and picking up the miniature grandfather clock. "Somehow they've developed A.T. fields…" Gendo whispered to himself.

"A what field? H- hey! Would you mind not touching my pendulum you dolt?" Gendo shrugged, and set down the clock.

"You'll have to forgive Cogsworth, good sir. He's a bit stuffy."

"It is called being proper," Cogsworth retorted. After his initial shock had worn off, Gendo was quite fascinated by Lumiere and Cogsworth. He'd attempted to create automatons before, but hadn't come close to something on their level. "And Lumiere, he should be headed towards the servant's quarters."

"Relax, he'll be fine here. It's only for a moment," Lumiere said as they entered the room.

"Not the master's chair!" Squeaked Cogsworth as Gendo took a seat in a exquisitely detailed highbacked chair that seemed as if it were made for a giant. A footstool zoomed over, wiggling one end like a dog wagging its tail before Gendo set his feet on it. 'Not the footstool!" As Gendo had just begun to relax and lean against the armrest, a cart with a teapot rolled over.

"Perhaps you'd like a spot to drink?" Asked the teapot.

"You got any scotch?"

"Ooh! Just tea, I'm afraid." Gendo shrugged, and the teapot poured him a cup.

"Oh, not tea, too…" Lamented Cogsworth.

"Ahaha! His mustache tickles, mommy!"

_Shouldn't be surprised,_ Gendo thought to himself. He set the cup down, and when it turned around, Gendo saw that it had eyes, much like the other household items that had greeted him.

"And while you're warming up, is there anything else we can-" At that point the doors blasted open, and there was a heavy, metallic clanking sound that drew nearer.

"What are you doing here?!" The voice demanded. Gendo looked up, and couldn't believe his eyes. "What are you doing here? You're not welcome here!"

Gendo took in the form, the lines and angles that reminded him so much of his own creation, Lillith. "You're… an angel…"

"Have you come to gawk at the- what? Did you say angel?"

Cogsworth cleared his throat. "I just want to say that I was against this from the start!"

"I told you guys I'm not gay, and then here you bring in this old dude and he calls me a freakin' _angel_-"

"Master Shinji, that was only a jest on my part, I thought-"

"T_hat doesn't matter_!" Shinji said to Lumiere. He turned back to Gendo. "You don't belong here, you need to leave."

"Relax, I didn't mean _that_ kind of angel. And I got lost in the woods being chased by wolves, at least you could let me stay the night."

"Fine then! I know where you can stay…" Shinji said threateningly, picking Gendo up by his shoulders...


	4. Chapter 4

As the killing curse lanced into their chest, Rei closed her eyes and sighed. She never got why Cedric stayed with Harry if he knew who he was. Interrupting her thoughts was a brisk and practiced knock on the door. Marking her place, Rei got up and smoothed her sheets before answering the door. She looked through the peephole, getting a glimpse of her visitor and some kind of party set up near her house. Reluctantly, she opened the door, and Touji barged in.

"Rei! Don't you have something better to do than read all those books?"

"Apparently…" Rei said, crossing her arms and looking away at the table. Touji walked over and sat down, resting his muddy black boots on the table.

"Haven't you ever dreamed of getting married Rei, of having children? I have! And dogs, too; I imagine six or seven of them running around the house."

"Dogs, or children?"

"Kids, Rei! Think of it: you and me, _married_, with a half-dozen Touji juniors running around!"

"...I'm sure the dogs would be lovely."

Touji stood, continuing as if Rei hadn't spoken. "But first, we have to get married! I know you're the one for me, Rei. Wouldn't you say so?"

"So."

"Come on out with me, Rei," Said Touji, walking towards Rei. "I know just the thing to show you that you're meant for me." Touji leaned over Rei, trapping her between him and the door.

"Touji, I want you to have what you deserve."

Touji's eyes lit up with an unholy glee, which soon turned to shock as Rei opened the door and slipped from under him, sending Touji tumbling out and off the porch and into a mud puddle. Rei went back to her book, reading on until she finished some time later. It was her favorite part, finishing the book- getting to live with all of the characters and knowing she could come back to visit them at that moment in time.

But outside of the book, it was time to feed the hens. Rei noticed the fresh breeze blowing as she stepped out of the house, how it seemed to call to her. She had a job to do, though, and ignored the feeling as she stepped around the coop scattering the feed. When she finished, it came back to her, and she wandered over towards the cliff, laying on her stomach and gazing over the edge towards the river. She could almost understand it then, how the villagers would mysteriously start singing. "I just want more than this…" Rei softly whispered to herself.

Coming up behind her was a clopping sound, and when she turned to look, it was Phillipe- but her father was not with him! He whinnied in that oddly intelligent way of his, motioning with his head towards the forest.

"Where is he, Phillipe?" Motioning again, Phillipe neighed, and turned sideways. _Father is so brilliant, but I can hardly imagine him surviving in the woods…_ Rei mounted up on Phillipe, and at once he took her off towards the woods. The ride was like a half-remembered nightmare, blurring past until they arrived at the gates. Rei pushed and pushed at the gates, but they didn't open. Phillipe stepped up beside her then, put a hoof in between the bars of the gate on its bottom edge, and pulled backwards. The two shared a look for a moment before Rei cleared her throat and entered with a mumbled thanks.

The way was dark, and as Rei opened the door of the castle she found it was dim and shadowy inside. "Hello...? Father, are you in here?" As she ventured further into the foyer and beyond Rei began to hear the pitter patter of tiny, hurried footsteps.

"It's a girl!"

"Lumiere, please-"

"See for yourself, Cogsworth!" Whispered Lumiere, gesturing around the doorway. There he spied Rei, turning down the hallway.

"Good heavens! It is a girl!"

"She could be the one to finally do it!"

"Father!" Rei still heard the footsteps around her, but was beginning to feel lost. "Hmm…?" Quickly turning around, she saw a door swinging shut, and hurried over before it could close. She looked both ways and then went up the stairs. "I thought I'd heard someone…" Taking the last step up into the hall, Rei heard the sound of someone scratching on the walls, and went forwards to investigate. "Father…?"

"Shut up Rei, I'm- oh, Rei. How did you get here?"

Rei walked forwards, and felt the iron bars of the cell Gendo was locked in. There was a strange feeling in her chest that came up at seeing her father like this, dirty and disheveled in a cell. "Who did this to you…?!"

"You'll never believe it," Gendo said with a smirk. "It was… an angel!" In the dim light Rei could see bags under her father's eyes, and stray bits of straw sticking out of his hair.

"Father, we have to get you out of here- did you have any of your other inventions on you when you were taken?"

"No- listen, Rei, I'm so close to a breakthrough! I just need to recalibrate the monadic integration ratio and then-" Gendo was cut off by a swift clanking sound and a rush of air, and a loud voice.

"What are you doing in my castle?!"

Rei whirled around, but couldn't see the large figure clearly. "I, I came for my father."

"Ha! He's a trespasser, and will stay in there forever!" Shinji said, pacing back and forth.

"What if I took his place…?"

"And, he going to- huh? You… would do that?"

"Rei, no! I don't have anything to write down my calculations on-"

"Yes, I would do it." Rei squinted at the large figure in front of her, not able to see him clearly. "Come into the light…" Shinji stepped forwards into the light, and Rei gasped. The lines of his form looked so much like Lillith, her father's creation, but more natural. There was a bizarre symmetry to his form that she saw, alien and and beautiful. Shinji saw how she looked at him, but swept forwards past her and opened the cell, pulling Gendo out and pushing Rei in.

"Rei! You'll have to memorize-" But by then ShInji was far away, and her father's request trailed off into silence.

When her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light of the cell, Rei saw her father's equations scratched onto the wall. They almost looked familiar, but she could barely grasp the way her father worked with numbers. Then, there was the master of the castle, who had locked her father away. Though she would not admit it openly, Rei loved old fairy tales and dreamed of magic, and frequently wished for something beyond the ordinary in her life. Something, perhaps, like what was happening to her right now...


End file.
